Identification clamp



Get. 9 1923.

H. v. MCCULLOCH IDENTIFICATION CLAMP Filed April 17. 1922 Patented Uct.t3,

.2 il and th y HERBERT V. I /ioCULLOCT-I, OE

#QNEAPOLIS, REINNESOTA.

ITEENTTEICATION CLAMP.

Application filed April 17,

To (1U "LU/0717, it may 0071.02 212 lie it known that l, liniuian'r lMoCUL- LUUII, a citizen of the United States, residing at Minneapolis,in the county of Herr nepin and State of ll'linnesota, have inventedcertain new and useful improvements in Identification Clamps; and 1 dohereby declare the following to be a full, clear, and exact descriptionof the invention, such as will enable others skilled in the art to whichit appertains to make and use the same.

My invention has for its object to provide an extremely simple, low costand highly efficient identification clamp especially adapted for use byschool children and others for marking and identifying various differentarticles or wearing apparel. The so-called clamp will preferably have anumbered, initialed or otherwise marked tag applied thereto and isadapted to be quickly clamped to rubbers, overshoes, coats, hats and thelike. It is, for example, well adapted to hold together a pair ofrubbers or overshoes and, as preferably designed, the identification tagis perforated so that it adapts the clamp .to be hung from a hook or thelike. Preferably, the clamp is made from three stamped sheet metalelements adapted to be quickly assembled ly use of but a single rivet orpin.

in the accompanying drawings, which illustrate the invention, likecharacters 1ndicate like parts throughout the several views.

Referring to the drawings: Fig. 1 is a perspective showing the clampused to hang a pair of rubbers on a hook; Fig. 2 is a perspective of theclamp itself; Fig. 3 is a side elevation of the clamp; Fig. l is asection on the line 44- of Fig. 3; and

Fig. 5 is a perspective showing the yoke elementof the clamp.

The body or main element ('5 of the clamp is of ap n'oximately U-shapeformation and is stamped from a Hat bar or sheet of thin flat springsteel. The ends of this clamp body have upturned ends 7 spaced therefromso as to increase the resilience or spring action of said member and toafford smooth clamping surfaces that will not injure the article clampedbetween them. The bow of said. member 6 is concavely bent in crosssection so as to give it increased stiffness at 56 that place. t theirintermediate portions,

1922. Serial No. 553,818.

both arms of the member (5 are provided with parallel laterally spacedslots 8.

The numeral 9 indicates a clamp yoke also preferably stamped from thinsheet spring steel and bent to form parallel ears formed withperforations l0 and united with a transverse portion 11 by laterallybulged channel portions 12. In assembling the ele ments of the clamp,the ears of the yoke 9 are passed through the slots 8 of both arms ofthe clamp body 6 and the engaged portion of one of the arms of saidmember 6 will be sprung into engagement with the channels 12, thuslocking said yoke 9 to that arm. The perf rated ends of the ears 9project through the other arm of the member 6 and a coupling pin orrivet 13 is passed through the same. This coupling pin serves topivotally connect to the perforated ends of said ears a cam-acting oreccentric clamp lever 14 also preferably stamped from a single piece ofsheet steel. Said lever 1a is made channel shaped in cross section so asto give it strength combined with lightness and, at its pivoted end, ithas eccentric cam-acting flanges let.

The numeral 15 indicates an identification clip provided at one end witha perforation adapting it to be passed onto the bowed portion of theclamp member (5 where it will be held against displacement by the yoke8. Of course, this clip must be applied before the yoke is applied.Preferably, the identification clip 15, at its free end, is pro videdwith a perforation l6 adapting it to be engaged with a hanger hook 17 orthe like, as shown in Fig. l, in which view said clamp holds togetherand suspends a pair of rubbers 18.

When the lever 14- is turned as shown in Figs. 2 and 3, the jaws of theclamp body 6 will be opened, but when said lever is turned approximatelyone hundred and eighty degrees from the position there shown, the jawsof the clamp body will be tightly pressed against any article placedbetween the same. Of course, the device can be readily applied to coats,hats, gloves and various other articles, for the purpose ofidentification. There is great demand for such a device for use byschool children to enable quick identification of their own lothes andto prevent confusion in selecting their own clothes from places wherethey are packed in small quarters, l /lore genorally, however, thedevice will be found useful wherever people gather in public places,such as lodges, churches, theaters and the like. To be popular, such adevice must be of very low cost and the construction that I have aboveillustrated meets this requirement; All of the elements may be rapidlymade by die-pressing and may be quickly assembled.

WVhat I claim is:

An identification clamp comprising an approximately U-shaped springmetal body formed with parallel slots, a yoke having parallel earspassed through the slots in the arms of said clamp body, and acam-acting lever pivoted t the projecting ends of the ears of said yokeand operating to clamp the arms of said body onto an article passedbetween the same, said yoke immediately adjacent to its transverse baseportion having outwardly offset channels interlocking the same to one ofthe arms of said clamp body and locating the arms of said yoke inward ofthe edges of the arms of said clamp body.

In testimony whereof I affix my signature.

HERBERT V. MoOULLOGI-I.

